Dwight Fiske was an unusual gay entertainer from the 1930s. He studied classical music in Europe and was discovered by Tallulah Bankhead, who brought him to America for his concert debut in New York.

Soon after, Fiske gained a reputation among New York social circles at parties for his stories about socialites he would perform, accompanying himself on piano. This turned into a long career in the city's nightclubs from about 1930 until his death in the mid-1950s. Three books ("Why Should Penguins Fly?" and others) compiling his "story-songs" were published in the early 1930s.

His works often contain veiled references to the gay community; "Ida the Wayward Sturgeon" is a kind of veiled "coming out" story. Others are more directly about the personalities of New York's social scene. His material, satirizing of a particular circle of people at a particular time, can be difficult to understand, even with some knowledge of the period.

These files were taken from a variety of 78 rpm recordings by Fiske from the 1930s and 40s, released on his own labels, Fiskana and Gala.

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